Don Banks on the Eagles and TC

1. Can the Eagles master Chip Kelly’s up-tempo, fast-break offense and exit the preseason looking like an NFL version of the Oregon Ducks?

From what I gleaned in the one Philly OTA session I attended, the Eagles are making a fairly smooth transition from Andy World and learning to practice and play the Kelly way, with minimal wasted time or energy during a workout. Kelly’s MO is to involve and engage as many players as possible on every snap and in every phase of practice, going full speed for 12 minutes at a time in team drills, followed by five-minute teaching periods that serve to give his guys a chance to catch their breath.

But OTAs are an entirely different game compared to the preseason, when the shoulder pads go on, the hitting commences and the intensity gets ramped up a notch or three. That’s when we’ll start to see the full effect of Kelly’s break-neck style of offense, and whether or not it can be sustained by his NFL-sized roster.

Complicating the situation, of course, is the quarterback competition that will rage in the coming weeks, with Michael Vick, Nick Foles and maybe even rookie Matt Barkley vying to prove their skill set is the best fit for Kelly’s aggressive and attacking approach. The sooner the Eagles’ offense identifies its trigger man, the better. Starting next week, all seat belts should be fastened for a full-speed takeoff in Philly.

If you click the link, you can also watch a short video with Peter King talking about Chip Kelly.